Who knew getting baptized could be so much fun?!?
Easter Sunday: also known as the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after Good Friday inclusively, a day we celebrate as it symbolizes the rebirth and the bridging of the gap between the sinful man and Holy God.
Baptized, baptized, baptized and it feels guhhh-rateee!
So I've been taking New Life classes and it wasn't until like right before I got in the water, when I was standing behind the curtain that it hit me, "Oh wow, I'm really getting baptized", who knew the day would come so fast. It was a bit nerve-wrecking I must say but it was fun and a blessing nonetheless. Pastor Tingson is very firm with his dunking of my body into the water but honestly after I can honestly walk out and say I feel different and some of you might say it's all in my head but I am feeling this conviction and darn happy about it. Thanks to everyone who attended and thanks for all the gifts, cards and encouragements. All the cards were awesome and I had an awesome time reading them. The gifts are great, so many books and I plan to read them all so thanks for those. Lots of thanks to friends and family but most importantly to God, reborn and unashamed to be called his son. The only down side to this was being the 23rd person to go and the last guy because by the time I went, everybody's name tag was floating in the water and the water had a bunch of hair. Nonetheless, BEING BAPTIZED ROCKS!
To those who are interested, here is my full testimony:
It is an extremely satisfying to know that in my life, all I need is Him. However, this realization had only recently come because before that, life was different, and now being a Christian has been completely redefined. Having grown up in the church, I’ve always been a “Christian”, believing in God was just that, He had almost always existed to me but their was never a relationship between the two, a relationship I was desperately seeking my entire life to now find out, was always there. Church was fun as a kid, but as I grew older, going to church became a burden, having to wake up early every Sunday seemed like a waste of time and it was then when I began drifting away. Already feeling that I did not belong in the first place, having stopped going to church was not very difficult. It was then that my life no longer felt chained by the restrictions being a Christian came with. I live most of my junior high school life with this mentality, and almost as if God no longer existed to me, the joy this brought however was short lived. I learned then that all my friends only provided me with a fun relationship, a few good laughs here and there but nothing deeper than what friendship truly was. The relationships all lacked the deeper intimacy we all seek in those we are close with, the joy I experienced through these friendships were only on the exterior but the interior felt hollow and void. It was during my freshman year of high school that a friend had brought me back to a Korean church where I met new friends and my faith restored itself in a gradual manner. I stayed there for about a year where the pastor there taught me a lot about growing in God and learning to trust him, however, I felt that growing spiritually in that church was overwhelmingly difficult so I began searching again for a new home. I visited a few churches that my friends’ went to and avoided coming back to OCM fearing that it would be awkward. After a few unsuccessful attempts at finding a new comfortable church home, an old friend had suggested coming to visit OCM and after visiting for the first time in a few years, it seemed to be a clear option to stay and so I gave it a chance. The first few weeks were difficult seeing as how I needed to assimilate back into OCM and Cana, however the process was made a lot easier by old friends that acted almost as if I never left, and for this, I am extremely grateful. Coming back to OCM was like finally coming up to the surface to gasp a breath of fresh air after having been down in the water for so long. I learned what I was missing in my life all along was God who instantly filled the empty space in my heart that felt void for too long. After having slowly assimilating back into the fast-paced mainstream of Cana, friendships blossomed into ones with meaning and understanding. I rekindled old friendships, made new friends, overall, friendships that I do not know how I lived on so long without having. I never had someone to open up to and be vulnerable with up until that point in time and the feeling that came along with knowing that somebody cared was overwhelming. Being back at OCM has changed my life in ways I could never have imagined and since then, I have grown spiritually and learned more about God and myself. Having said earlier that I felt chained by the restrictions being a Christian came with, breaking free from it lead me into a life of sin, a life that was displeasing to my own eyes, my parents eyes and ultimately God’s eyes, comparing the few boundaries set to what God’s love provides is futile and unmatched. God has provided me with everything I have, He has given me loving parents, sisters, nephews, nieces, brothers and sisters in Christ that I don’t know how I would live without and coming to realize all this, I have no problem in saying that I will focus my life around Him and do everything I can to glorify Him.
posted by taniel chan at
9:37 PM
|
4 Comments
